State Garden Lettuce Linked to 33 with E. coli

A total of 33 ill persons infected with the outbreak strain of STEC O157:H7 were reported from five states. The number of ill people identified in each state with the outbreak strain was as follows: Connecticut (2), Massachusetts (3), New York (26), Pennsylvania (1), and Virginia (1).

46% of ill persons were hospitalized. Two ill persons developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, and no deaths were reported.

Collaborative investigation efforts of state, local, and federal public health and regulatory agencies linked this outbreak to pre-packaged leafy greens produced by State Garden of Chelsea, Massachusetts.

Traceback investigations of pre-packaged leafy greens purchased by ill persons identified State Garden as a common producer, but a source of contamination has not been identified. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues its investigation to identify the source of the contamination.